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I was a reading the “War of Art” by Steven Pressfiled, and a phrase really stuck out to me. It was, “You only have a right to the work, not the results or benefits.” I think this nicely relates to training and racing as well. To me, this means you control the effort and process, and not the results. So, enjoy and take satisfaction in the process, as that is where the joy should come from. You never know when the race day conditions will suck, or you get sick two days before your A race. If you are doing what you are meant to do, the results will come.

Let me give a recent example from my life. Last week, I raced a marathon. My training for the race was the best quality training, I have done for a marathon. I will confident in a PR. At mile 16 of the race, my legs had a different plan, and I finished 10 minutes slower than expected. It was not my day.

When I crossed the finish line, I was disappointed. How could I have training so well, and fallen short of my goal? Then, I thought back to the quote above. Training and racing endurance sports is my passion. I would not take back all of the training run with friends, or long runs that leave me feeling invincible. I put full effort into my plan, and i just came up short on race day. This is my purpose, and is not defined by the result.

I am not saying not to set goals. Goals are very important. The best way to succeed is to set a big goal, and work a plan backward to achieve it. Along the process of achieving that goal, find enjoyment in the work. If you succeed or fall short on race day, know you put in a full effort.

This is not an excuse either. If you didn’t put in a full effort you will know. That’s OK. Find out what resistance kept you from putting in your full effort, and overcome it next time. Rationalizing a bad performance with excuses is not acceptable.

What are your thoughts on this topic? How are you living your purpose, and enjoying the process?

Have you seen people in a triathlon, and thought I would like to try that, but I don’t have the time? It seems everyone is increasingly busy, and time is a precious resource. An event that involves three different sports sounds like huge time commitment. What if you could complete your first triathlon, and change your lifestyle in two months using only four hours a week?

Most people can carve out four hours a week to do something they really want to do. The current Neilsen ratings say the average person watches four hours of TV a day, or 28 hours a week. Would you be willing give up one day of TV for a healthier lifestyle?

Now we got the excuses out of the way, lets get down to business. How can I be ready to race a Tri in the two months in only four hours, a week?

I suggest your first race be a sprint distance tri. Typical distances for a sprint are 500M swim (15 mins), 12 mile bike (35 mins), and a 5k (30 mins) run. Each leg of the race should take 30 minutes or less. We will use that 30 min time domain to structure the majority of your training. If you are already proficient in one of these sports, you can concentrate on the other two.

A typical week will look something like this:

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Off

Run/30min

Bike/30 min

Run/30min

Off

Bike/

1 hour

Run/30 mins

Swim/ 30min

Swim/30 mins

As you can see there are seven workouts broken up over five days. The two rest days are important to let your body rest, and feel like you have a life outside exercise. The double workout on Wednesday and Sunday could be done back to back inside to maximize your time. You can do your 30 mins in the pool, then hop on a spin bike or the treadmill to finish up. The swim days are flexible throughout the week. The only restriction is to not run and bike on the same day. Save your legs!

Does this sound like something you can do? Don’t be intimidated by the amount of workouts. Each workout is short enough to fit in your daily schedule, and leave you feeling energized. Also, there is flexibility in the schedule. If you can’t get to the pool on Wednesday, just move it to Thursday.

In future posts, I will layout the structure of each work during the week. In the mean time, let’s get moving!

If you have specific questions, please leave them in the comments. I will be happy to help.

Do you want to race a triathlon, but you are on a tight budget? There’s no doubt about it. Racing triathlons can get very expensive. Super light carbon fiber bikes, and high tech training tools add up quickly. You don’t have to be tech millionaire to get started. In this post, we will show you how to get started with the right equipment, without emptying your wallet.

Swim – $25

Swimming should be cheap right? All I should need is myself and a swim suit. You’re pretty close. You need a swimsuit and a pair of goggles. Women typically have a one piece suit they can wear. For men, I suggest training in trunks, but racing in your bike shorts.

A decent pair of goggles should cost around $25. Here’ a link to some Aqua Spheres for $20.

A bike is the mostly costly piece of equipment forTriathlon. Triathlon bikes can get crazy expensive. A full carbon race bike with aero wheels will easily take a couple months of your salary. I recommend using the bike you already have. If you have a geared bike of any type, that will be great for your first race. This includes mountain bikes, road bike, or a hybrid. I don’t recommend beach cruisers, as they don’t have hand brakes, and can be dangerous at speed.

What if I don’t have a bike? Ask someone to borrow one. Many people buy great bikes, and the bike sit in the garage unridden. After you tell them of your plan to race your first triathlon, they will be happy to help out.

Besides the bike, you need a couple more items. First, you need a helmet. Triathlon rules state you wear a helmet at all times when you are on a bike. If you are racing in warm conditions, you want a helmet with good ventilation. Here’s a link to a Giro helmet for $30.

Also, I recommend buying bicycle shorts. Bicycle shorts have padding in the seat, and make riding much more comfortable. Also you can wear them as your race bottoms for the whole event. Here’s a link to some Canari shorts, that will work nicely:

Here’s where the cheap skates can rejoice. We’re going to assume you are still clothed from the bike leg, so all you need is a pair of running shoes. You probably already have some running shoes. If not, check some deal sites to get some really great deals on running shoes. If you are not sure what running shoe is best for you, go to your local running store for a consult. They will happy to help you out, even if you don’t buy there right now.

There you have it. If you have a bike to use, and some running shoes sitting in the back of your closet, you can be training and racing for under $100. The expense of triathlon shouldn’t hold you back from trying something new and exciting. Once you get hooked on triathlon, then you will need that second job. Happy Training!

Like this:

Triathlon can be an expensive sport, but it doesn’t have to be. Most of the gear required to complete your first race, you probably already have. You may need to purchase a couple of items, but can make due with some things you already have.

Here’s a bare bones list of the must have items by discipline:

Swim

Swim Suit – If your first race is in a pool or in warm water all you need is a swim suit. For ladies, I would recommend a one piece for comfort. For guys, you can swim in your bike shorts, or your favorite board shorts.

Goggles – You may need to buy a good pair of goggles, if you don’t already have them. A decent pair of goggles cost $20-40. Be sure to try them on before buying. Everyone’s face is shaped differently, and you want them to fit comfortably.

Swim Cap – Most races will provide you with a swim cap for the race.

Bike

Bicycle – I guess this is kind of obvious, but think of what you can already use. There’s no need to drop a whole paycheck on a new bike. If you have a bike that fits you, and has gears, you are good to go. I have seen people use beach cruisers. I would not recommend a cruiser, because they are heavy, don’t have gears, or hand brakes.

Also, ask around to borrow a bike. Many people have a perfectly good bike collecting dust in the garage.

Helmet – All races will require you to wear a helmet any time you are on the bike. The helmet must have a CPSC sticker inside. Don’t worry all helmets sold legally in the US are required to have the sticker. Helmets can be had for a reasonable price online.

Bike/Tri Shorts – Bike/Tri shorts are made of lycra and have padding in the seat. This is one item I highly recommend purchasing. You can use them during training, and racing. The tight fit and extra padding will help prevent the discomfort of the bike seat. If you use regular gym shorts, chaffing will occur when you get sweaty.

Toe Clips/Bike Shoes/Clipless Pedals (Optional) – Some older road bikes have toe clips on the pedals. The clips go around the toe of the shoe, and help you pull the pedal up. Same with clipless pedals, where you shoes clip into the pedal. With toe clips, you can use your running shoes during the bike. Toe clips would be best for new bike riders or first time triathletes.

If you borrow a bike with clipless pedals and chose to use them, you will also need shoes with cleats to go into the pedals. There are many different pedal and cleat types, so be sure to get the right match. The most common is the SPD cleat. These are the same cleats used on Spin bikes. So you can use your shoes for Spin classes as well.

Run

Running Shoes – This is the only real need for the run. This is the most important piece of equipment. Spend some time to research which shoes are best fit for you. The wrong shoes can cause discomfort or worse, injury. Most running stores can assess your form and fit, and get you into the right shoe.